UFOpaedia - User contributions [en]

Training Roulette (EU2012)

2015-08-27T00:03:43Z

Pjw: /* Random Ability Pool */

{{REWRITE NEEDED (EU2012)}}

[[File:Training Roulette 1.png|300px|right|A Training Roulette killer Sniper with Sentinel, HEAT Ammo and Bring 'Em On]]

Training Roulette is a [[Second Wave (EU2012)|Second Wave]] option made available on the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]]. When it is chosen for a game the description reads: ''Each soldier's training tree will be mostly randomly generated. Does not apply to MEC Troopers.''

After a [[Soldiers (EU2012)|rookie soldier]] gains their first rank, they are assigned to a [[Classes (EU2012)|class]] and receive the starting [[Abilities (EU2012)|ability]]. The choice of abilities afterwards will be from its own class perks, mixed with abilities from other classes. This applies only to abilities that are not dependent of class [[Weapons (EU2012)|weapons]], such as [[Rocket Launcher (EU2012)|Rockets]]. Training Roulette also does ''not'' affect the Psionic ability choices.

For [[Survival_Guide_(EU2012)#The_RNG.2C_Save_Scumming.2C_and_You|save scumming purposes]], that soldier's entire ability tree is rolled for at the end of the mission that they gain Squaddie rank in; an in-battle save is needed to re-roll if desired. The exception is with soldiers gotten as Council rewards or after buying '''New Guy''' in the OTS, who are rolled for when you receive them.

With Training Roulette activated some abilities will still be locked to certain [[Classes (EU2012)|classes]] and only be available at determined ranks. All the other abilities can appear as options at any [[Soldiers (EU2012)#Rank|rank]], with a few special rules.

<noinclude>
==Class Skill Tables==
<table class="training-roulette">
<tr style="vertical-align:top">
<td>
===[[Assault_(EU2012) | Assault]]===
{|class="wikitable"
|Squaddie
|
|[[file:ASSAULT RUNGUN.png | 32px]]
|
|-
|Corporal
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|-
|Sergeant
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:ASSAULT CLOSEPERSONAL.png | 32px]]
|-
|Lieutenant
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:ASSAULT RAPIDFIRE.png | 32px]]
|-
|Captain
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|-
|Major
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|-
|Colonel
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:ASSAULT_KILLERINSTINCT.png | 32px]]
|}
</td>

<td>

===[[Heavy_(EU2012) | Heavy]]===
{|class="wikitable"
|Squaddie
|
|[[file:HEAVY_FIREROCKET.png | 32px]]
|
|-
|Corporal
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|-
|Sergeant
|[[File:HEAVY_SHREDDER.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|-
|Lieutenant
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px | link=]]
|
|[[File:HEAVY_DANGERZONE.png | 32px]]
|-
|Captain
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|-
|Major
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|-
|Colonel
|[[file:HEAVY_ROCKETEER.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:HEAVY_MAYHEM.png | 32px]]
|}
</td>

<td>

===[[Sniper_(EU2012) | Sniper]]===
{|class="wikitable"
|Squaddie
|
|[[file:SNIPER HEADSHOT.png | 32px]]
|
|-
|Corporal
|[[file:SNIPER SQUADSIGHT.png | 32px]]
|
|[[file:SNIPER SNAPSHOT.png | 32px]]
|-
|Sergeant
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|-
|Lieutenant
|[[file:SNIPER DISABLINGSHOT.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px ]]
|-
|Captain
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|-
|Major
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|-
|Colonel
|[[file:SNIPER ITZ.png | 32px]]
|
|[[file:SNIPER DOUBLETAP.png | 32px]]
|}
</td>

<td>

===[[Support_(EU2012) | Support]]===
{|class="wikitable"
|Squaddie
|
|[[File:SUPPORT_SMOKEGRENADE.png | 32px]]
|
|-
|Corporal
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|-
|Sergeant
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:SUPPORT_SMOKEMIRRORS.png | 32px]]
|-
|Lieutenant
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|-
|Captain
|[[File:SUPPORT_DENSESMOKE.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:SUPPORT_COMBATDRUGS.png | 32px]]
|-
|Major
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|-
|Colonel
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|
|[[File:UNKNOWN.png | 32px]]
|}
</td>
</tr>
</table>

==Random Ability Pool==
<table>
<tr style="vertical-align:top">
<td>
{| class="wikitable"
!Offensive
|-
|[[File:ASSAULT AGGRESSION.png | 32px]] Aggression
|-
|[[File:ASSAULT BRINGTHEMON.png | 32px ]] Bring 'Em On
|-
|[[File:ASSAULT_FLUSH.png | 32px]] Flush
|-
|[[File:HEAVY_BULLETSWARM.png | 32px]] Bullet Swarm
|-
|[[File:HEAVY HOLO.png | 32px]] Holo-Targeting
|-
|[[File:HEAVY HEAT AMMO.png | 32px]] HEAT Ammo
|-
|[[File:SNIPER GUNSLINGER.png | 32px ]] Gunslinger
|-
|[[File:SNIPER EXECUTIONER.png | 32px]] Executioner
|}
</td>

<td>
{| class="wikitable"
!Defensive
|-
|[[File:ASSAULT TACTICALSENSE.png | 32px]] Tactical Sense
|-
|[[File:ASSAULT LIGHTNINGREFLEXES.png | 32px ]] Lightning Reflexes
|-
|[[File:ASSAULT EXTRACONDITIONING.png | 32px]] Extra Conditioning
|-
|[[File:ASSAULT RESILLIENCE.png | 32px]] Resilience
|-
|[[File:HEAVY WILLTOSURVIVE.png | 32px]] Will To Survive
|-
|[[File:SNIPER LOWPROFILE.png | 32px]] Low Profile
|}
</td>

<td>
{| class="wikitable"
!Overwatch/Suppression
|-
|[[File:ASSAULT CLOSECOMBAT.png | 32px]] Close Combat Specialist
|-
|[[File:SUPPORT_SENTINEL.png | 32px]] Sentinel/ [[File:HEAVY_RAPIDREACTION.png | 32px]] Rapid Reaction
|-
|[[File:SUPPORT_RIFLESUPPRESSION.png | 32px]] Suppression
|-
|[[File:SUPPORT_COVERINGFIRE.png | 32px]] Covering Fire
|-
|[[File:SNIPER_OPPORTUNIST.png | 32px]] Opportunist
|}
</td>

<td>
{| class="wikitable"
!Other
|-
|[[File:HEAVY_GRENADIER.png | 32px]] Grenadier
|-
|[[File:SNIPER_DGG.png | 32px]] Damn Good Ground
|-
|[[File:SNIPER_BATTLESCANNER.png | 32px ]] Battle Scanner
|-
|[[File:SUPPORT SPRINTER.png | 32px ]] Sprinter
|-
|[[File:SUPPORT_DEEPPOCKETS.png | 32px]] Deep Pockets
|-
|[[File:SUPPORT_FIELDMEDIC.png | 32px ]] Field Medic
|-
|[[File:SUPPORT_REVIVE.png | 32px]] Revive
|-
|[[File:SUPPORT_SAVIOR.png | 32px]] Savior
|}
</td>
</tr>
</table>

==Random Ability Notes==
===Offensive===
* [[File:ASSAULT AGGRESSION.png|16px]] '''Aggression'''
** Assaults and Snipers might make the best use of it due to their already high [[Critical Hits (EU2012)|Critical Chance]] ability.
* [[File:ASSAULT BRINGTHEMON.png|16px]] '''Bring 'Em On'''
** While a good option for any class, your Supports will appreciate this ability to compensate the limited damage output of their rifles.
* [[File:ASSAULT FLUSH.png|16px]] '''Flush'''
** If there's a lot of soldiers with '''Sentinel'''/'''Rapid Reaction''', choose this ability then use it to dislodge the alien while the rest of your squad fires on it from [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]].
** More useful for Supports/Assaults since their weapons deal the least damage at long range.
* [[File:HEAVY BULLETSWARM.png|16px]] '''Bullet Swarm'''
** Won't appear as an option for a Sniper.
** This ability is one of the best for all other classes since it allows to Fire and Move away from trouble.
** Can be combined with '''Rapid Fire''', giving an Assault 3 shots if the 1st shot is a regular one.
** Can also be combined with '''Rapid Fire''' and '''Close and Personal''' giving the Assault 4 shots: 1st one with '''Close and Personal''', 2nd a regular shot, 3rd and 4th with '''Rapid Fire'''.
* [[File:HEAVY HOLO.png|16px]]'''Holo-Targeting'''
**Useful for any class, even Assaults and a great combination with '''Suppression'''.
**The [[Aim (EU2012)|Aim]] bonus is also applied to a 2nd shot made with '''Bullet Swarm''' or '''Double Tap''' by the same unit.
* [[File:HEAVY HEAT AMMO.png|16px]] '''HEAT Ammo'''
** Useful ability to always have on any class, specially Assaults, Heavies and Snipers, since it increases their already high damage output.
* [[File:SNIPER GUNSLINGER.png|16px]] '''Gunslinger'''
**Won't appear as an option for a Heavy.
**While still very useful for Snipers, after you get the [[Foundry (EU2012)#Ammo Conservation|Ammo Conservation]] project your Assaults and Supports won't really need this ability since it will be very unlikely that they'll run out of ammunition and have to resort to pistols.
**Perhaps useful if you want to create a trooper just to go on the Covert Ops
* [[File:SNIPER EXECUTIONER.png|16px]] '''Executioner'''
**Useful for any class. Other abilities may be more interesting than it or not, depending on the soldier's class.
===Defensive===
* [[File:ASSAULT TACTICALSENSE.png|16px]] '''Tactical Sense'''
** Useful for any class since avoiding enemy hits is usually better than taking damage from them.
* [[File:ASSAULT LIGHTNINGREFLEXES.png|16px]] '''Lightning Reflexes'''
** You'll always need someone with this to break the aliens Overwatch. Least useful in Snipers with the '''Squadsight''' ability.
* [[File:ASSAULT EXTRACONDITIONING.png|16px]] '''Extra Conditioning'''/ [[File:ASSAULT RESILLIENCE.png|16px]] '''Resilience'''/ [[File:HEAVY WILLTOSURVIVE.png|16px]] '''Will To Survive'''
** These 3 abilities are complementary of one another since they all reduce incoming damage.
** Getting 2 or even all 3 abilities on any soldier will turn him/her into a walking tank, capable of rivaling even with [[MEC Trooper (EU2012)|MEC Troopers]]. But getting all 3 on the same unit may also make it less useful on an offensive role.
* [[File:SNIPER_LOWPROFILE.png|16px]] '''Low Profile'''
** Another of the best abilities for any class, specially when combined with the [[Gene Mods (EU2012)#Mimetic Skin|Mimetic Skin]] Gene Mod.
===Overwatch/Suppression===
* [[File:ASSAULT CLOSECOMBAT.png|16px]] '''Close Combat Specialist'''
** Least useful for any kind Snipers, unless they are using pistols, because of the short range penalty of the Sniper Rifle.
* [[File:SUPPORT SENTINEL.png|16px]] '''Sentinel'''/ [[File:HEAVY RAPIDREACTION.png|16px]] '''Rapid Reaction'''
** Both are exclusive; you can get either one but not both on the same soldier.
** Both are great options for Snipers, specially those with Squadsight. The 2nd shot can compensate for the lack of critical hits change applied on the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]] for shots on enemy units not visible to the Sniper.
** A [[Squads (EU2012)|squad]] with several soldiers with those abilities can become one deadly [[Overwatch (EU2012)|Overwatch]] machine.
* [[File:SUPPORT RIFLESUPPRESSION.png|16px]] '''Suppression'''
** Your Assault has 1% chance to hit the alien with his/her [[Shotgun (EU2012)|Shotgun]] due to distance? Use this ability to give him/her a long range option by suppressing it instead.
** Even useful with Snipers, but there might be other more interesting choices for them instead of this ability.
* [[File:SUPPORT COVERINGFIRE.png|16px]] '''Covering Fire'''
** Enemy Within altered the mechanic of this ability (the unit now fires before the enemy fires, not after) and the increase in the penalty for Overwatch shots (30% of the soldier's Aim rather than a fixed -20 penalty) can make it more interesting since the soldier will have a better Aim firing at an enemy unit in low cover rather than firing at a moving enemy.
** Good combo with '''Suppression'''.
* [[File:SNIPER OPPORTUNIST.png|16px]] '''Opportunist'''
** With '''Sentinel/Rapid Reaction''' it can be a great combo. Or with any of the other Overwatch/[[Suppression (EU2012)|Suppression]] abilities.
===Other===
* [[File:HEAVY GRENADIER.png|16px]] '''Grenadier'''
** With '''Deep Pockets''' it will give the soldier 3 grenades. Add [[Foundry (EU2012)#Tactical Rigging|Tactical Rigging]] and that's 6 grenades per soldier.
** Least useful for Squadsight Snipers, unless you're planning to use them more in a frontline role.
* [[File:SNIPER_DGG.png|16px]] '''Damn Good Ground'''
** A good ability for any soldier that uses elevation for better Aim and/or approaching the aliens, specially those soldiers with the [[Gene Mods (EU2012)#Muscle Fiber Density|Muscle Fiber Density]] Gene Mod, [[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton Suit]] or [[Archangel Armor (EU2012)|Archangel Armor]].
* [[File:SNIPER BATTLESCANNER.png|16px]] '''Battle Scanner'''
** One of the best abilities for the early game due to its ability to detect [[Seeker (EU2012)|Seekers]] and/or generally help the squad avoid trouble by allowing to scout at map sections out of your soldiers' sight without activating aliens or to detect ambushes.
** Becomes less useful after the Bioelectric Skin [[Gene Mods (EU2012)|Gene Mods]] or [[Ghost Armor (EU2012)|Ghost Armor]] are deployed.
* [[File:SUPPORT SPRINTER.png|16px]] '''Sprinter'''
** Useful for any class, specially when used for scouting or reacting to unexpected threats, and for Assaults on '''Run & Gun''' attacks.
* [[File:SUPPORT DEEPPOCKETS.png|16px]] '''Deep Pockets'''
**Besides Medikits and Arc Throwers, it will also give 1 more grenade to any soldier carrying them.
**If the soldier already has '''Field Medic''' or '''Grenadier''', this ability makes them even more useful.
* [[File:SUPPORT FIELDMEDIC.png|16px]] '''Field Medic'''/ [[File:SUPPORT REVIVE.png|16px]] '''Revive'''/ [[File:SUPPORT SAVIOR.png|16px]] '''Savior'''
**It is most difficult to get the '''Field Medic''', '''Revive''' and '''Savior''' combination on a single soldier, which is one of the most useful ones, so you should consider how to address a lack of a dedicated medic during the game.
**Unless you're planning to deploy [[Medikit (EU2012)|Medikits]] in most of your squad, it is better to wait to try to get '''Field Medic''' first in a soldier, before choosing either '''Revive''' or '''Savior'''. It will be most likely that some of your soldiers will be automatically assigned with those last two abilities upon reaching the [[Soldiers (EU2012)#Ranks|rank]] of Major.
**Usually the most available solution for a dedicated Medic is to have '''Field Medic''' combined with '''Deep Pockets''', allowing for 4 [[Medikit (EU2012)|Medikit]] uses. If you're lucky the soldier might also have '''Revive''' or '''Savior''' but it is very rare to have these four abilities on the same soldier.

==Class Notes==
* Snipers are the class with the least customization options since 6 [[Abilities (EU2012)|abilities]] are locked, including both choices at Corporal and Colonel ranks. The Major ability is the last random ability you'll get and it will be automatically assigned.
* Heavies are the 2nd class with less options, with 5 locked abilities, including both choices at Colonel rank.
** The Heavy's '''Danger Zone''' and '''Mayhem''' abilities can be less attractive since it isn't guaranteed now that the Heavy will get the '''Suppression''' perk that is usually combined with both. '''Danger Zone''' is still useful with Rockets but the choice will usually be '''Rocketeer''' over '''Mayhem'''.
* Assaults and Supports are the most flexible regarding random choice abilities, with only 4 locked perks.
* Assaults can get a lot of useful abilities to increase their [[Movement (EU2012)|mobility]] or damage power, but remember that they might need some defensive abilities if they are used in close assault situations.
* Supports usually get the short stick with Training Roulette, since they lose their specific Medic abilities and their weapons are usually limited in [[Damage (EU2012)|damage]] output when compared to the other classes.
** To partially compensate for the previous, Supports now get access to several different abilities such as '''Battle Scanner''', '''Flush''' or '''Holo-Targeting''' that can add several options to its usual 'jack of all trades' role.

==General Tips==
* The choice of abilities is a coin toss: you get can allow for some amazing synergies but also to be completely disparate abilities.
* [[The Council (EU2012)|Council]] awards of soldiers are even better since you can see what the choices will be up to the rank of the soldier and allow a more planned choice.
* The entire Ability tree is chosen when the unit is assigned a class. Savescumming at the end of a mission, and a Rookie gains a level, or a leveled soldier is given as a Abduction/Council reward (Zhang, Annette, or non-storyline), or if the OTS's New Guy ability is in effect and new soldiers are hired, will give new ability choices. Later savescum/leveling will not provide new choices.
** You can, alternatively, hold off on choosing an ability and continuing to level to the next rank(s) as normal: when the new rank is reached, the new abilities will be inaccessible but visible, in the same manner as getting a leveled soldier as a reward.

The 3 most important abilities that can only be randomly received are:
* [[File:SUPPORT FIELDMEDIC.png|16px]] '''Field Medic'''
* [[File:ASSAULT LIGHTNINGREFLEXES.png|16px]] '''Lightning Reflexes'''
* [[File:SNIPER BATTLESCANNER.png|16px]] '''Battle Scanner'''

All of these 3 will allow the player very important options for the squad and they can be all received at Corporal rank, which can result in their early deployment during a campaign. And all 3 are useful in the later game, specially Lightning Reflexes and Field Medic.

In addition, there are several important combinations of abilities:
* [[File:SUPPORT COVERINGFIRE.png|16px]] '''Covering Fire''' + [[File:SNIPER OPPORTUNIST.png|16px]] '''Opportunist''' + [[File:SUPPORT SENTINEL.png|16px]] '''Sentinel'''/ [[File:HEAVY RAPIDREACTION.png|16px]] '''Rapid Reaction'''
** This will make any unit into an Overwatch powerhouse. Try putting such units just out of range of alien sight, so any that attempt to rush forward will blunder into this trap.
* [[File:SUPPORT FIELDMEDIC.png|16px]] '''Field Medic''' + [[File:SUPPORT REVIVE.png|16px]] '''Revive''' + [[File:SUPPORT SAVIOR.png|16px]] '''Savior''' + [[File:SUPPORT DEEPPOCKETS.png|16px]] '''Deep Pockets''' + Tactical Rigging
** The Medic Support's combination. Though it is unlikely that you will get all 4 abilities on a soldier, any collection of the components may be worthwhile on any unit, particularly those who're less fond of the Support's lower damage capacity compared to other classes, and rather have the slot open for a heavier hitter.
* HEAT + Close Combat Specialist
** If Seekers are currently hunting your soldiers (and no other alien types are currently engaging), and you have a soldier with this combo: place them in the middle of the pack. By default, the Seeker will not go for that soldier, but attempt to strangle the soldiers around it, triggering CCS. Heat will increase the damage. And if the unit in question happens to be a shotgun-Assault, that's a near-guaranteed kill.
* Bullet Swarm + Rapid Fire
** An exclusive combo for Assaults, this allows up to three salvos of fire, raining pain down upon foes. Of course, this will eat up ammo like nobody's business.
* Holo-Targeting + Bullet Swarm/Double Tap
** As mentioned above, the +10 aim effect works for both shots if taken at different targets. Excellent if you have some airborne enemies, like drones, to take care of.
===Soldier Abilit Strings===
* One nice way to know the abilities assigned to a soldier is to assign strings to their call signs, just like stat strings in the original game. This allows you to quickly select units when composing a squad.
* As example, imagine a Sniper with the following nickname: "'''1 D A RR'''". 1 means it has '''Snap Shot''' (2 would be '''Squadsight'''), D means it has a defensive perk ('''Resilience'''), A it has a reaction fire perk ('''Opportunist'''), and RR that it has two movement abilities ('''Sprinter''' and '''Lightning Reflexes''').
* One suggestion for a naming scheme would be:
** D for each defensive ability ('''Resilience''', '''Tactical Sense''', '''Low Profile''', '''Extra Conditioning''', '''Will to Survive''').
** M for each medic ability ('''Field Medic''', '''Revive''', '''Savior''', '''Deep Pockets''')
** R for each movement ability ('''Lightning Reflexes''' and '''Sprinter''')
** A for each reaction ability ('''Close Combat Specialist''', '''Covering Fire''', '''Sentinel''', '''Rapid Reaction''', '''Opportunist''')
** G for abilities involving grenades ('''Grenadier''' and '''Deep Pockets''')
** B for '''Battle Scanner'''
** S for '''Suppression'''
** F for '''Bullet Swarm'''
** T for '''HEAT Ammo'''
** Notice that the letters only apply to non-specific class abilities. For differentiating between a Heavy focused on Rocketeer or Mayhem use numbers instead.

==See Also==
{{XCOM Units (EU2012)}}

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Soldiers (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Guides (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)]]
</noinclude>

Tactics (EU2012)

2015-08-16T14:49:49Z

Pjw: /* Capturing */

{{Template:REWRITE NEEDED (EU2012)}}
===General Tactics===

Leap frog your way forward on maps while also rotating through your squad's first move before deciding to perform a second move.<br>
Overwatch, or fire if you encounter something along the way.<br>
This helps you maintain battlefield awareness including map size, squad spacing, and flank openings.

It will also help make sure you have someone with a move left to take action should you encounter aliens.

Save putting your soldiers on overwatch until the end of the turn. This tactic is important for 2 reasons. 1. Aliens get a free move when they are seen and if the alien moves into view of a soldier that has already been put on overwatch they cannot use that turn to fire. You have to rely on them having a reaction shot during the alien's turn. 2. If you want to move them somewhere else you can't because they are locked once on overwatch.

Alternatively, put several secure units (like snipers) into overwatch before revealing enemies. Your soldiers will open fire on aliens as they scramble for cover and the penalty to reaction fire will be more than compensated by the absence of a cover penalty. If you follow this up with careful Run & Gun tactics you can clean up weaker groups before they have a chance to fire at you.

Also, with all the other equipment such as medkits and nano fiber vests and such, the grenade is often overlooked. It is a good idea to have at least one grenade on hand, because a grenade is guaranteed damage, regardless of cover. Better yet, it destroys cover, making a poor shot into an easy shot. Early on when accuracy is poor and weapons are weak a grenade is a great way to dispatch Sectoids.

Muton berserkers have a handy habit of chasing down the soldier that shot them. If unprepared, or early on in the game with weak weapons and soldiers, this can be hard to deal with. Later on in the game with stronger characters and weapons it can be used to your advantage. If there are 3 or more soldiers in a line/group use the first soldier on the end to draw the Berserker to the group. Then shoot the berserker with the next closest soldier and repeat along the line. If executed properly the berserker will move from one soldier to the next each time getting closer to the soldier next in line to shoot him. This tactic is especially useful when using the alloy cannon, a weapon with great power but short range. It is also useful if you have a heavy with Bullet Swarm or a sniper with double tap because you can encourage the berserker to move into position instead of your soldier moving and only having 1 shot.

=== Simplified and Granulized Encounter System ===
Aliens now come in groups of 1 to 3. Some of these groups may patrol around the map by teleporting to random points around the map, but are tactically dormant (i.e. they will not open fire or take cover) until you "wake them up". Note that once awoken, aliens can act fully even when outside your visual range, including Overwatch (and in the case of Sectopods, the Cluster Bomb attack).

Similar to massive-multiplayer online game instances, "waking-up" multiple groups of enemies is just plain stupid. The best strategy is to wake-up and deal with one group at a time. When scouting for enemies, don't move too far ahead, especially with a 2-move dash. When a group is activated, it may be prudent to then back up and get into defensive positions to greet the enemy.

For behind the door situations, gather your soldiers in front of the door, around the corner or in a spot across the room facing the door. Next open the door to wake up the aliens inside. If no aliens are seen, have a soldier (preferably your assault with Run&Gun) move in. After the aliens run for cover, charge in and open fire at optimum ranges. If there are multiple entrances into the same room, split your team so that you can potentially get a flank bonus on some of the enemies. Depending on the situation, you also have the option of waking up an enemy behind a door, and then back out of sight to encourage the alien to run out and into a flurry of reaction fire.

For most outdoor situations and in large rooms, set up your snipers in the right place before waking up the aliens with one soldier. Use only one action point to wake them up, kill most/all the aliens with your snipers, and use one action point to pull back to completely avoid retaliation fire.

Enemy groups that randomly teleport nearby, or amongst your team, will not immediately open fire when they strike a pose and race for cover. They will actively attack once your turn ends. If this occurs when you are not engaging the enemy, you can often use this opportunity to get in close and take them down at close range. If you are in the middle of engaging another group or more, these re-inforcements could tip the odds in the enemy's favour. You will need to adjust your tactics accordingly. Prioritize targets, take defensive measures, make a tactical retreat to safety, use area-effect weapons, etc.

=== To be (an Angel) or not to be ===
That is the question. The answer may lie in your playing style but it may also lie in a game bug. Ghost Armour is the obvious choice for all classes (maybe Psi Armour for Psi), but for snipers you may want to equip with Angel Armor. Because of a bug in the game, Angel Armour grants you Height bonus and Damn Good Ground bonus even though the Angel Armor strictly says it shouldn't. With these bonuses plus a scope, your chance to hit jumps to near certainty even for aliens with full cover.
===Plan before you commit===

Do not use your soldier's turns separately, like, select unit 1, do something, select next unit, do something... First plan the movement and actions of all the soldiers, and only then commit to actually doing it. Instead of taking best shot possible with each soldier, one after another, it might be a good idea to first check which soldier sees which enemy, and has which chance to hit - for example, one of your squad sight snipers could only see one target with 100% CTH on it, and your other squad sight can see that target with 100% CTH on it, and another with 80% CTH on it - while it could seem as a better move to fire on the first target with the second sniper when you select him and look at available targets, doing so will mean you cannot do any reasonable damage with your first sniper this turn. Also, consider what opportunities indirect use of explosives may provide - you may first remove cover of several aliens, then shoot, to maximise your chance to hit, consider how you can move to improve your sight or chance to hit, etc. It is also a good idea to plan for the worst case scenario, having backup plans - for example, leaving Heavy's turn for last, so that he can blow enemies up in case you miss them, or, commit to firing first with your soldiers that are least in danger (snipers, or those behind good cover) so, in case enemies live, you can retreat your soldiers in low cover or in danger of being flanked, instead of having them already spent their turn and locked in a danger zone.

===High Cover vs Low Cover===

Low Cover not nearly as useful enough as High Cover. While in High Cover you can count on most likely not being hit, and Hunker Down behind it means in most cases that enemy will have 1% chance to hit you, Low Cover means you will most likely be hit than not, and Hunker Down will not save you from being hit as well. Generally, consider using Low Cover only when there is absolutely no way to use High Cover, and always place and advance your soldiers around the map by moving from high cover to high cover. You should never have exchange of shots with aliens with one of your front soldiers being behind Low Cover, except when you have no other choice (like, pinned down in a corner of a map, or all nearby high cover blown by explosives). Having even one unit behind low cover means aliens will focus their fire on that unit and very probably kill or damage it.

===Cover vs Firing and Hunker Down===

While shooting at enemies is always better than nothing, if you miss or don't kill the target, said shooter is exposed to return fire. Unless you are confident in the shot, or have a second shooter, it may be a good idea to hunker down.

Hunkering down in full cover gives -80 acc to enemy aliens, making it highly likely that nearly all alien shots will miss, or in the worst case scenario, non critical damage. This is especially useful for scouts, as they can mark targets for snipers and live to spot the next turn. Be sure to hunker down as the last move, so the scout spots for all your shooters.

A viable tactic using hunker down is putting snipers in the back (out of enemy LOS) and other units in enemy LOS but behind high cover and in Hunker Down. Enemies will either try to shoot with a very miniscule chance ot hit, relocate (sometimes flanking themselves or making themselves easier targets on subsequent turn) or just go overwatch. This effectively gives your sniper team extra turns to shoot at the aliens (and lower their numbers). However, watch out for enemies with AOE attacks like Thin Men or Mutons, since AI will use it without hesitation in such case.

Also remember that Heavy soldier can go into Hunker Down after he already fired once, if he has the Bullet Swarm perk.

===AI "Panic"===

If AI unit has no AOE attack, has no enemy in LOS which is exposed/flanked, is himself exposed/flanked, and sees a unit which is on overwatch, it will completely skip its turn. AI seems to run out of options and "panics". Therefore, you can "lock down" units like sectoids and floaters (on the ground), or Mutons if they already used their grenades, or Thin Men if you carry medkits, by simply flanking them with one of your units and putting one of your soldiers that is visible to them on overwatch (can be the flanker, can be different unit).

This can allow you to advance your Arc Thrower carrying soldier, or take free shots on the enemy until it dies, or just save yourself from harm. Using this is way superior to just taking the shot with your flanking unit, because in case you do not kill it, AI will move to cover on its turn and fire back, plus, in a situation when your unit flanks 2 or more enemies, he can only theoretically kill one of them (except using grenades, but then flanking was probably unnessecary), plus flanking does not always guarantee a hit, etc. However, by going overwatch, you can single-handedly keep all flanked enemies at bay while giving yourself freedom to deal with them in whichever way you prefer.

Notice, however, that you must have no units exposed/flanked by an alien locked that way, or alien will fire. Also watch out for aliens with grenades or other AOE attacks.

The panic also seems not to trigger a good amount of the time if the alien unit has not yet moved away from it's starting position. (the cover it moves to after its introductory cinematic) To be completely sure that overwatch will lock down an enemy, make sure it has moved at least once, unless you have no other options.

Because the flanking unit does not necessarily have to be the one to overwatch, you dash a unit to a good position where it has an exposed view of all enemies, and as long as a unit has any line of sight on these same enemies (not necessarily an exposed one) overwatch will lock them down, except in some cases mentioned above.

This has been 'fixed' in Enemy Within.

The second form of AI Panic ''is'' purposeful, and also manipulatable. What it requires is: if there is an alien squad of 3, that you need to kill two of the aliens with overwhemling force, usually in one round. You'll know it works if a soldier says something along the lines of "They're losing ground!" when the aliens have their turn. Even if there's two active squads engaging you, and you don't touch the second squad, you still might trigger this panic in the first. Exploiting this tactic can save you much stress in Impossible difficulty, in that it still takes all three aliens out of action in the next alien Turn, even though that (due to the higher alien HP values) you may only be able to cause enough damage to kill two.

===Do not fear the enemy which is unknown===

Enemies can be in two states: activated or not. When you start a map, all aliens are not in activated state, and are bunched up in packs of up to 3. They roam the map (actually, teleport around the map until next teleport will put them inside your LOS, thats when they make a movement animation) or even stay in place until discovered. When spotted on your turn, or coming into your LOS on their turn, a small cutscene will play, and aliens will always make a move, usually into cover. They will never take an offensive action at the turn (yours or theirs) at which you met them. Only once activated, starting from their next turn, aliens start to act as individual units, taking turns in the same manner as player does. (two actions per turn, move/move or move/shoot, overwatch, etc.)

This means that as long as you have no activated aliens on the map, you are completely 100% safe from any kind of harm. You can have every enemy carry a grenade and yet bunch up your soldiers next to each other and never be in danger, as long as those enemies are not active yet. You can be in the open and never be in any danger as long as there are no active enemies on the map. You never have to fear an enemy that is not activated. In a situation when you have no active aliens on the map, you can play a completely different game, and to a big advantage.

While usually you'd try to stay mostly in high cover, spread up if enemy is carrying grenades, doing so when there are no active aliens can actually hurt you, because when they pop on their turn, only one or two of your soldiers will get a chance to react, since others will not yet have LOS on the enemy. Or, aliens may appear from the side of your line formation, meaning it takes you more than one move to get your soldiers into position to fire on spotted aliens. And so on. If you start thinking about situations when there are aliens on the map that are active and when there are not as separate situations, in case there aren't any active aliens it may be optimal not to stay in cover and spread out, but have cover reachable in 1 move, while staying bunched together, thus still being safe in case you cannot take down spotted aliens in one turn, but at the same time giving you benefit of having all your soldiers fire an overwatch shot against spotted aliens. Also, as long as you kill the spotted aliens in the turn you spotted them on (or in the turn that goes after the turn they came into your LOS, if it happened on their turn), you do not have to worry about going into cover, because you will again have no active aliens present on the map.

Also, notice that firing on an alien that you have spotted but that has not spotted you (this can rarely happen when you're behind cover, or easilly happen with battlescanner) will activate the pack, but only if you hit. If you miss, you will not activate them.

Do note that, sometimes, these wandering packs may 'teleport' into the middle of your squad, and that if savescumming, unactivated packs might be in a different location (even from the same savestate).

===Mind Wall===

If you are tired of mind controlling aliens after you got Psionics and if you have lucky to have 5/6 Psionic soldiers you can set your psi squad to be permanently in a Telekinetic Field that gives all units (including the aliens) inside +40 Defense. The ability has a 4 turn cooldown so you need 5 soldiers equipped with it to always have 1 unit activating it at the end of your turn.
This tactic works ideally on open areas like smaller UFO maps and most abduction and Council missions. Even if the aliens are protected within the field you just need not to set your soldiers on Overwatch so that they'll not fire at the aliens, and if you combine it with Dense Smoke and/or terrain cover you'll get +80 Defense stats. The only vulnerability of the field is to grenades, so take out first any aliens with explosive weapons.

===Capturing===
Capturing an alien allows you to recover their weapons intact, and interrogate one of each alien type for a [[Research (EU2012)|research]] credit.
*Don't over-capture aliens carrying weapons you don't need; the corpse and weapon fragments may be more useful.
*EXALT soldiers can't be captured; they will commit [[Achievements (EU2012)|suicide]] instead.
*Stunned aliens can be killed by explosions; avoid stunning near explosive objects, and move away when fighting aliens with explosive weapons or death animations.

Equipping the [[Arc Thrower (EU2012)|Arc Thrower]]
*The Arc Thrower is an item; it can't be used after activating Run and Gun.
*The chance to stun an enemy depends on the enemy's health, so the Arc Thrower can be given to a soldier with low aim.
*A Rookie or low-ranking soldier can be used, to reduce the downside if the soldier is killed trying to stun an enemy. Alternately, a soldier with high health and defensive perks will have a better chance to survive.
*It will be much easier to use the Arc Thrower with a soldier with high mobility (Sprinter, [[Skeleton Suit (EU2012)|Skeleton Suit]]). If using [[Second Wave (EU2012)|Not Created Equally]], pay attention to which soldiers have higher movement.
*In Enemy Within, [[Foundry (EU2012)|Tactical Rigging]] will make it easier to carry several Arc Throwers without sacrificing other equipment.

Getting close enough to stun
*Your soldier will need to be close enough to get within stunning range in a single move, so keep them as near as possible to where enemies will appear, and save both movement points if you think there will be an opportunity to capture an enemy.
*The Arc Thrower doesn't need to be used from an adjacent tile, but does need to be within a few tiles (3 tiles, or 2 tiles directly on the diagonal).
*The Arc Thrower is not affected by cover, although it does require normal line of sight. It can also be used with some height variation (for example, against an alien standing on a truck).
*Being on top of a UFO or building may allow soldiers to approach much more closely without being seen.
*The command pod of a UFO will usually appear in predictable locations; set up a capture by getting as close as possible with the Arc Thrower before waking them up.
**[[Outsider (EU2012)|Outsiders]] will tend to move into cover and toward your squad when waking up.
**[[Sectoid Commander (EU2012)|Sectoid Commanders]] will usually try to use Mind Control on their first turn. You can move your Arc Thrower near them but out of sight, and give them another soldier to Mind Control. Be careful using a soldier with Close Combat Specialist in this way, as they will have a free reaction shot within 4 tiles.
*Try to kill all the other enemies before trying to capture.
*Smoke Grenades and Telekinetic Field can be used to give some protection to an exposed soldier.

The chance to stun is better if the enemy has 3 health or less; try to reduce an enemy's health as much as possible without killing it before trying to stun.
*Use weapons that won't do enough damage to kill the enemy, and don't increase critical chance if a critical hit is likely to kill.
*Pistols are a good option for doing 1-2 damage.
*Disabling Shot will prevent the enemy from attacking next turn, and does reduced damage.
*Explosives do a fixed amount of damage and grenades won't miss, but remember to use them before moving into position if there would be a chance to hit your own soldier.

==See Also==
* [[Squads (EU2012)|Squads]]
* [[Class Builds (EU2012)|Class Builds]]
* [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]
* [[ (EU2012)| ]]
* [[ (EU2012)| ]]

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Guides (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Tactical Guide (EU2012)]]

Tactics (EU2012)

2015-08-16T14:10:39Z

Pjw: /* Capturing */

{{Template:REWRITE NEEDED (EU2012)}}
===General Tactics===

Leap frog your way forward on maps while also rotating through your squad's first move before deciding to perform a second move.<br>
Overwatch, or fire if you encounter something along the way.<br>
This helps you maintain battlefield awareness including map size, squad spacing, and flank openings.

It will also help make sure you have someone with a move left to take action should you encounter aliens.

Save putting your soldiers on overwatch until the end of the turn. This tactic is important for 2 reasons. 1. Aliens get a free move when they are seen and if the alien moves into view of a soldier that has already been put on overwatch they cannot use that turn to fire. You have to rely on them having a reaction shot during the alien's turn. 2. If you want to move them somewhere else you can't because they are locked once on overwatch.

Alternatively, put several secure units (like snipers) into overwatch before revealing enemies. Your soldiers will open fire on aliens as they scramble for cover and the penalty to reaction fire will be more than compensated by the absence of a cover penalty. If you follow this up with careful Run & Gun tactics you can clean up weaker groups before they have a chance to fire at you.

Also, with all the other equipment such as medkits and nano fiber vests and such, the grenade is often overlooked. It is a good idea to have at least one grenade on hand, because a grenade is guaranteed damage, regardless of cover. Better yet, it destroys cover, making a poor shot into an easy shot. Early on when accuracy is poor and weapons are weak a grenade is a great way to dispatch Sectoids.

Muton berserkers have a handy habit of chasing down the soldier that shot them. If unprepared, or early on in the game with weak weapons and soldiers, this can be hard to deal with. Later on in the game with stronger characters and weapons it can be used to your advantage. If there are 3 or more soldiers in a line/group use the first soldier on the end to draw the Berserker to the group. Then shoot the berserker with the next closest soldier and repeat along the line. If executed properly the berserker will move from one soldier to the next each time getting closer to the soldier next in line to shoot him. This tactic is especially useful when using the alloy cannon, a weapon with great power but short range. It is also useful if you have a heavy with Bullet Swarm or a sniper with double tap because you can encourage the berserker to move into position instead of your soldier moving and only having 1 shot.

=== Simplified and Granulized Encounter System ===
Aliens now come in groups of 1 to 3. Some of these groups may patrol around the map by teleporting to random points around the map, but are tactically dormant (i.e. they will not open fire or take cover) until you "wake them up". Note that once awoken, aliens can act fully even when outside your visual range, including Overwatch (and in the case of Sectopods, the Cluster Bomb attack).

Similar to massive-multiplayer online game instances, "waking-up" multiple groups of enemies is just plain stupid. The best strategy is to wake-up and deal with one group at a time. When scouting for enemies, don't move too far ahead, especially with a 2-move dash. When a group is activated, it may be prudent to then back up and get into defensive positions to greet the enemy.

For behind the door situations, gather your soldiers in front of the door, around the corner or in a spot across the room facing the door. Next open the door to wake up the aliens inside. If no aliens are seen, have a soldier (preferably your assault with Run&Gun) move in. After the aliens run for cover, charge in and open fire at optimum ranges. If there are multiple entrances into the same room, split your team so that you can potentially get a flank bonus on some of the enemies. Depending on the situation, you also have the option of waking up an enemy behind a door, and then back out of sight to encourage the alien to run out and into a flurry of reaction fire.

For most outdoor situations and in large rooms, set up your snipers in the right place before waking up the aliens with one soldier. Use only one action point to wake them up, kill most/all the aliens with your snipers, and use one action point to pull back to completely avoid retaliation fire.

Enemy groups that randomly teleport nearby, or amongst your team, will not immediately open fire when they strike a pose and race for cover. They will actively attack once your turn ends. If this occurs when you are not engaging the enemy, you can often use this opportunity to get in close and take them down at close range. If you are in the middle of engaging another group or more, these re-inforcements could tip the odds in the enemy's favour. You will need to adjust your tactics accordingly. Prioritize targets, take defensive measures, make a tactical retreat to safety, use area-effect weapons, etc.

=== To be (an Angel) or not to be ===
That is the question. The answer may lie in your playing style but it may also lie in a game bug. Ghost Armour is the obvious choice for all classes (maybe Psi Armour for Psi), but for snipers you may want to equip with Angel Armor. Because of a bug in the game, Angel Armour grants you Height bonus and Damn Good Ground bonus even though the Angel Armor strictly says it shouldn't. With these bonuses plus a scope, your chance to hit jumps to near certainty even for aliens with full cover.
===Plan before you commit===

Do not use your soldier's turns separately, like, select unit 1, do something, select next unit, do something... First plan the movement and actions of all the soldiers, and only then commit to actually doing it. Instead of taking best shot possible with each soldier, one after another, it might be a good idea to first check which soldier sees which enemy, and has which chance to hit - for example, one of your squad sight snipers could only see one target with 100% CTH on it, and your other squad sight can see that target with 100% CTH on it, and another with 80% CTH on it - while it could seem as a better move to fire on the first target with the second sniper when you select him and look at available targets, doing so will mean you cannot do any reasonable damage with your first sniper this turn. Also, consider what opportunities indirect use of explosives may provide - you may first remove cover of several aliens, then shoot, to maximise your chance to hit, consider how you can move to improve your sight or chance to hit, etc. It is also a good idea to plan for the worst case scenario, having backup plans - for example, leaving Heavy's turn for last, so that he can blow enemies up in case you miss them, or, commit to firing first with your soldiers that are least in danger (snipers, or those behind good cover) so, in case enemies live, you can retreat your soldiers in low cover or in danger of being flanked, instead of having them already spent their turn and locked in a danger zone.

===High Cover vs Low Cover===

Low Cover not nearly as useful enough as High Cover. While in High Cover you can count on most likely not being hit, and Hunker Down behind it means in most cases that enemy will have 1% chance to hit you, Low Cover means you will most likely be hit than not, and Hunker Down will not save you from being hit as well. Generally, consider using Low Cover only when there is absolutely no way to use High Cover, and always place and advance your soldiers around the map by moving from high cover to high cover. You should never have exchange of shots with aliens with one of your front soldiers being behind Low Cover, except when you have no other choice (like, pinned down in a corner of a map, or all nearby high cover blown by explosives). Having even one unit behind low cover means aliens will focus their fire on that unit and very probably kill or damage it.

===Cover vs Firing and Hunker Down===

While shooting at enemies is always better than nothing, if you miss or don't kill the target, said shooter is exposed to return fire. Unless you are confident in the shot, or have a second shooter, it may be a good idea to hunker down.

Hunkering down in full cover gives -80 acc to enemy aliens, making it highly likely that nearly all alien shots will miss, or in the worst case scenario, non critical damage. This is especially useful for scouts, as they can mark targets for snipers and live to spot the next turn. Be sure to hunker down as the last move, so the scout spots for all your shooters.

A viable tactic using hunker down is putting snipers in the back (out of enemy LOS) and other units in enemy LOS but behind high cover and in Hunker Down. Enemies will either try to shoot with a very miniscule chance ot hit, relocate (sometimes flanking themselves or making themselves easier targets on subsequent turn) or just go overwatch. This effectively gives your sniper team extra turns to shoot at the aliens (and lower their numbers). However, watch out for enemies with AOE attacks like Thin Men or Mutons, since AI will use it without hesitation in such case.

Also remember that Heavy soldier can go into Hunker Down after he already fired once, if he has the Bullet Swarm perk.

===AI "Panic"===

If AI unit has no AOE attack, has no enemy in LOS which is exposed/flanked, is himself exposed/flanked, and sees a unit which is on overwatch, it will completely skip its turn. AI seems to run out of options and "panics". Therefore, you can "lock down" units like sectoids and floaters (on the ground), or Mutons if they already used their grenades, or Thin Men if you carry medkits, by simply flanking them with one of your units and putting one of your soldiers that is visible to them on overwatch (can be the flanker, can be different unit).

This can allow you to advance your Arc Thrower carrying soldier, or take free shots on the enemy until it dies, or just save yourself from harm. Using this is way superior to just taking the shot with your flanking unit, because in case you do not kill it, AI will move to cover on its turn and fire back, plus, in a situation when your unit flanks 2 or more enemies, he can only theoretically kill one of them (except using grenades, but then flanking was probably unnessecary), plus flanking does not always guarantee a hit, etc. However, by going overwatch, you can single-handedly keep all flanked enemies at bay while giving yourself freedom to deal with them in whichever way you prefer.

Notice, however, that you must have no units exposed/flanked by an alien locked that way, or alien will fire. Also watch out for aliens with grenades or other AOE attacks.

The panic also seems not to trigger a good amount of the time if the alien unit has not yet moved away from it's starting position. (the cover it moves to after its introductory cinematic) To be completely sure that overwatch will lock down an enemy, make sure it has moved at least once, unless you have no other options.

Because the flanking unit does not necessarily have to be the one to overwatch, you dash a unit to a good position where it has an exposed view of all enemies, and as long as a unit has any line of sight on these same enemies (not necessarily an exposed one) overwatch will lock them down, except in some cases mentioned above.

This has been 'fixed' in Enemy Within.

The second form of AI Panic ''is'' purposeful, and also manipulatable. What it requires is: if there is an alien squad of 3, that you need to kill two of the aliens with overwhemling force, usually in one round. You'll know it works if a soldier says something along the lines of "They're losing ground!" when the aliens have their turn. Even if there's two active squads engaging you, and you don't touch the second squad, you still might trigger this panic in the first. Exploiting this tactic can save you much stress in Impossible difficulty, in that it still takes all three aliens out of action in the next alien Turn, even though that (due to the higher alien HP values) you may only be able to cause enough damage to kill two.

===Do not fear the enemy which is unknown===

Enemies can be in two states: activated or not. When you start a map, all aliens are not in activated state, and are bunched up in packs of up to 3. They roam the map (actually, teleport around the map until next teleport will put them inside your LOS, thats when they make a movement animation) or even stay in place until discovered. When spotted on your turn, or coming into your LOS on their turn, a small cutscene will play, and aliens will always make a move, usually into cover. They will never take an offensive action at the turn (yours or theirs) at which you met them. Only once activated, starting from their next turn, aliens start to act as individual units, taking turns in the same manner as player does. (two actions per turn, move/move or move/shoot, overwatch, etc.)

This means that as long as you have no activated aliens on the map, you are completely 100% safe from any kind of harm. You can have every enemy carry a grenade and yet bunch up your soldiers next to each other and never be in danger, as long as those enemies are not active yet. You can be in the open and never be in any danger as long as there are no active enemies on the map. You never have to fear an enemy that is not activated. In a situation when you have no active aliens on the map, you can play a completely different game, and to a big advantage.

While usually you'd try to stay mostly in high cover, spread up if enemy is carrying grenades, doing so when there are no active aliens can actually hurt you, because when they pop on their turn, only one or two of your soldiers will get a chance to react, since others will not yet have LOS on the enemy. Or, aliens may appear from the side of your line formation, meaning it takes you more than one move to get your soldiers into position to fire on spotted aliens. And so on. If you start thinking about situations when there are aliens on the map that are active and when there are not as separate situations, in case there aren't any active aliens it may be optimal not to stay in cover and spread out, but have cover reachable in 1 move, while staying bunched together, thus still being safe in case you cannot take down spotted aliens in one turn, but at the same time giving you benefit of having all your soldiers fire an overwatch shot against spotted aliens. Also, as long as you kill the spotted aliens in the turn you spotted them on (or in the turn that goes after the turn they came into your LOS, if it happened on their turn), you do not have to worry about going into cover, because you will again have no active aliens present on the map.

Also, notice that firing on an alien that you have spotted but that has not spotted you (this can rarely happen when you're behind cover, or easilly happen with battlescanner) will activate the pack, but only if you hit. If you miss, you will not activate them.

Do note that, sometimes, these wandering packs may 'teleport' into the middle of your squad, and that if savescumming, unactivated packs might be in a different location (even from the same savestate).

===Mind Wall===

If you are tired of mind controlling aliens after you got Psionics and if you have lucky to have 5/6 Psionic soldiers you can set your psi squad to be permanently in a Telekinetic Field that gives all units (including the aliens) inside +40 Defense. The ability has a 4 turn cooldown so you need 5 soldiers equipped with it to always have 1 unit activating it at the end of your turn.
This tactic works ideally on open areas like smaller UFO maps and most abduction and Council missions. Even if the aliens are protected within the field you just need not to set your soldiers on Overwatch so that they'll not fire at the aliens, and if you combine it with Dense Smoke and/or terrain cover you'll get +80 Defense stats. The only vulnerability of the field is to grenades, so take out first any aliens with explosive weapons.

===Capturing===
Capturing an alien allows you to recover their weapons intact, and interrogate one of each alien type for a research credit.
*Don't over-capture aliens carrying weapons you don't need; the corpse and weapon fragments may be more useful.
*EXALT soldiers can't be captured; they will commit suicide instead.
*Stunned aliens can be killed by explosions; avoid stunning near explosive objects, and move away when fighting aliens with explosive weapons or death animations.

Equipping the Arc Thrower
*The Arc Thrower is an item; it can't be used after activating Run and Gun.
*The chance to stun an enemy depends on the enemy's health, so the Arc Thrower can be given to a soldier with low aim.
*A Rookie or low-ranking soldier can be used, to reduce the downside if the soldier is killed trying to stun an enemy. Alternately, a soldier with high health and defensive perks will have a better chance to survive.
*It will be much easier to use the Arc Thrower with a soldier with high mobility (Sprinter, Skeleton Suit). If using Not Created Equally, pay attention to which soldiers have higher movement.
*In Enemy Within, Tactical Rigging will make it easier to carry several Arc Throwers without sacrificing other equipment.

Getting close enough to stun
*Your soldier will need to be close enough to get within stunning range in a single move, so keep them as near as possible to where enemies will appear, and save both movement points if you think there will be an opportunity to capture an enemy.
*The Arc Thrower doesn't need to be used from an adjacent tile, but does need to be within a few tiles (3 tiles, or 2 tiles directly on the diagonal).
*The Arc Thrower is not affected by cover, although it does require normal line of sight. It can also be used with some height variation (for example, against an alien standing on a truck).
*Being on top of a UFO or building may allow soldiers to approach much more closely without being seen.
*The command pod of a UFO will usually appear in predictable locations; set up a capture by getting as close as possible with the Arc Thrower before waking them up.
**Outsiders will tend to move into cover and toward your squad when waking up.
**Sectoid Commanders will usually try to use Mind Control on their first turn. You can move your Arc Thrower near them but out of sight, and give them another soldier to Mind Control. Be careful using a soldier with Close Combat Specialist in this way, as they will have a free reaction shot within 4 tiles.
*Try to kill all the other enemies before trying to capture.
*Smoke Grenades and Telekinetic Field can be used to give some protection to an exposed soldier.

The chance to stun is better if the enemy has 3 health or less; try to reduce an enemy's health as much as possible without killing it before trying to stun.
*Use weapons that won't do enough damage to kill the enemy, and don't increase critical chance if a critical hit is likely to kill.
*Pistols are a good option for doing 1-2 damage.
*Disabling Shot will prevent the enemy from attacking next turn, and does reduced damage.
*Explosives do a fixed amount of damage and grenades won't miss, but remember to use them before moving into position if there would be a chance to hit your own soldier.

==See Also==
* [[Squads (EU2012)|Squads]]
* [[Class Builds (EU2012)|Class Builds]]
* [[Abilities (EU2012)|Abilities]]
* [[ (EU2012)| ]]
* [[ (EU2012)| ]]

[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Guides (EU2012)]]
[[Category: Tactical Guide (EU2012)]]

Alien Abductions (EU2012)

2015-08-13T19:39:39Z

Pjw: /* Notes */

{{TOC hidden}}{{Ref Open | title = Mission Brief & Objectives }}
[[File:Alien Abductions (EU2012).png|150px|right|Alien Abductions]]
Alien abduction in progress. Site is clear of civilians and multiple hostile elements are present. Collateral damage is not a concern.
* Sweep the abduction site and identify threats
* Neutralize all hostile targets
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}
<br>
{{Ref Open | title = Mission Brief & Objectives (EW DLC)}}
[[File:Alien Abductions (EU2012).png|150px|right|Alien Abductions]]
Alien abduction in progress. Meld energy signature readings are positive. Site is clear of civilians; collateral damage is not a concern.
* Neutralize all hostile targets
* Locate and secure Meld canisters
{{Ref Close | source = [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|XCOM: Enemy Within DLC]]}}
==Abductions Map List==
{{Col}}
*[[Bar (EU2012)|Bar]]
*[[Boulevard (EU2012)|Boulevard]]
*[[CemeteryGrand (EU2012)|CemeteryGrand]]
*[[Commercial Alley (EU2012)|Commercial Alley]]
*[[CommercialStreet (EU2012)|Commercial Street]]
*[[ConvenienceStore (EU2012)|Convenience Store]]
*[[Demolition (EU2012)|Demolition]]
*[[FastFood (EU2012)|Fast Food]]
*[[GasStation (EU2012)|Gas Station]]
*[[HighwayBridge (EU2012)|Highway Bridge]]
{{ColBreak}}
*[[HighwayConstruction (EU2012)|Highway Construction]]
*[[Industrial Office (EU2012)|Industrial Office]]
*[[LiquorStore (EU2012)|Liquor Store]]
*[[Museum (EU2012)|Museum]]
*[[OfficePaper (EU2012)|Office Paper]]
*[[PierA (EU2012)|Pier A]]
*[[ResearchOutpost (EU2012)|Research Outpost]]
*[[RooftopsConst (EU2012)|Rooftops Const]]
{{ColBreak}}
*[[SlaughterhouseA (EU2012)|Slaughterhouse A]]
*[[SmallCemetery (EU2012)|Small Cemetery]]
*[[StreetHurricane (EU2012)|Street Hurricane]]
*[[StreetOverpass (EU2012)|Street Overpass]]
*[[TrainStation (EU2012)|Train Station]]
*[[Trainyard (EU2012)|Trainyard]]
*[[Truckstop (EU2012)|Truckstop]]
{{EndCol}}

==Notes==
* An Alien Abductions mission is a basic skirmish between the [[Alien Life Forms (EU2012)|aliens]] and XCOM. A reward (credits, scientists, engineers or a soldier) will be given if the mission is successful, plus a -3 [[Panic (EU2012)|panic]] reduction.
** Unchecked Abductions raise panic by 2 points (3 on Impossible) in the country where they take place.
* Most alien species can appear on Abductions with the exceptions of [[Outsider (EU2012)|Outsiders]], [[Sectoid Commander (EU2012)|Sectoid Commanders]], [[Ethereal (EU2012)|Ethereals]] and [[Sectopod (EU2012)|Sectopods]].
** In [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within]] Sectoid Commanders will appear as escorts for [[Mechtoid (EU2012)|Mechtoids]].
* Alien Abductions missions only appear to occur in nations where you do not have [[Satellite (EU2012)|satellite]] coverage. Thus, once you have satellite coverage over every remaining nation, or with only 1 country without satellites, you will no longer get anymore of these missions and their rewards.
**You can still have Abductions over that country during the month you launch the satellite, which another reason for you should only launch sats at the end of the month. But on the following months you'll never have Abductions over that country, as long as the satellite isn't destroyed by a [[UFOs (EU2012)|UFO]].
* You'll always be offered a choice between 2 or 3 countries, each offering a different reward if the [[Missions (EU2012)|mission]] is successful.
**If there's only 1 country without satellites, there will be no Abductions generated.
* There is no [[Crashed UFO (EU2012)|UFO crash]] or [[Landed UFO (EU2012)|UFO landing]] involved, so you will not be recovering a lot of [[Alien Artifacts (EU2012)|artifacts]] from this type of battle other than [[Weapon Fragments (EU2012)|Weapon Fragments]] or intact [[Weapons (EU2012)|weapons]] from [[Alien Containment (EU2012)|captured]] aliens.
* You should expect [[Alien Life Forms (EU2012)|aliens]] to be spread throughout the entire [[Maps (EU2012)|map]] and sweep it accordingly.
* To abort an Abduction mission on some maps you have to press 'Esc' and select "Abort Mission and return to HQ." There is no requirement to move to a marked field by the [[Skyranger (EU2012)|Skyranger]].
* In the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]] two [[Meld Canister (EU2012)|Meld Canisters]] will spawn spread across the map.
===Rewards===
* X - Amount of Corpses with X being the number of aliens killed.
* Weapon Fragments - Varies based on the aliens that apper.
* 0-20 Meld - Retrieved from Meld Canisters [[File:Meld Insignia (EU2012).png|20px|Enemy Within DLC Only]]
** More [[Meld (EU2012)|Meld]] can be recovered if [[Heavy Floater (EU2012)|Heavy Floaters]] or Mechtoids are killed at intervals of 5 per corpse.
*[[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alien Alloys]] - From Robotic Units
*[[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]] - From Flying or Mechanical Units.
* Intact Weapons - Can be retrieved when aliens are captured or Mind Controlled aliens are killed.
* Alien Captives - Based on the number of aliens stunned during the Mission. Maximum of 36 live aliens.

==Tactics==
* As the description clearly states, Collateral Damage is not a concern, blow the aliens to hell Commander.
* Move as slowly as possible and deal with one set of aliens before moving on to avoid being outnumbered.
** In Enemy Within you need to balance your need for Meld to your need for survival.
<br clear="all">
{{Template:Maps Navbar (EU2012)}}

[[Category:Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category:Missions (EU2012)]]

Cyberdisc Wreck (EU2012)

2015-08-10T06:48:39Z

Pjw: /* Notes */

{{Ref Open | title = Grey Market Description }}
[[File:Cyberdisc 3 (EU2012).png|100px|right|]]
Seemingly robotic in nature, we've still detected trace amounts of organic material within this puzzling specimen.
{{Ref Close | source = XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)}}
==Notes==
* An [[Cyberdisc Autopsy (EU2012)|autopsy]] on dead [[Cyberdisc (EU2012)|Cyberdisc]] corpses allows building of [[UFO Tracking (Boost) (EU2012)|UFO Tracking (Boost)]] modules.
** On the [[XCOM: Enemy Within DLC (EU2012)|Enemy Within DLC]] the autopsy also unlocks the [[Gene Mods (EU2012)#Secondary Heart|Secondary Heart]] Gene Mod.
* 2 wrecks are required to build 1 Boost module.
* 2 Cyberdisc wrecks are also required for the [[Foundry (EU2012)#Advanced Flight|Flight]] project at the Foundry.
* Cyberdisc wrecks can be sold at the [[Grey Market (EU2012)|Grey Market]] for §7 each.
* Each wreck recovered after a mission will also give 8 [[Alien Alloys (EU2012)|Alien Alloys]] and 4 [[Elerium (EU2012)|Elerium]] units.
<br>
[[Category: Enemy Unknown (2012)]]
[[Category: Alien Artifacts (EU2012)]]
{{Aliens (EU2012)}}

Talk:XCOM Base Defense (EU2012)

2015-08-06T18:25:13Z

Pjw: /* Number of Aliens Appearing */ new section

If this requires completing the Alien Base mission first then couldn't it happen at any point after you've complete the Alien Base?--[[User:Ditto51|Ditto51]] 07:47, 30 November 2013 (EST)
:In my experiences it triggered within 10 days from alien base raid. [[User:Moyang|Moyang]] 07:58, 30 November 2013 (EST)
::What I meant was that the page says between May and September, but if you were to complete the base in March would you get it in April? Or if you completed it in the second year would the base defense still follow--[[User:Ditto51|Ditto51]] 10:35, 30 November 2013 (EST)
:::I just edited the page to remove that reference and simply say that HQ Defense takes place after the Alien Base assault. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 14:49, 30 November 2013 (EST)

== Soldiers chosen ==

So after doing this a few of times it seems I always get my 6 highest ranked soldiers. Before I put it on the page does anyone have a counterexample? [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 11:25, 13 December 2013 (EST)
:Nope. Of the three Base Defense missions I've observed, soldiers chosen starts at very top and works down. Obviously skipping any Psi testing, Augmenting, Gene modding, Covert Operatives on mission or hospitalized soldiers. Sounds good to me, Binkyuk. --[[User:DracoGriffin|DracoGriffin]] 11:33, 13 December 2013 (EST)
::Sounds good to me as well. I think the "Highest ranking" soldier always spawns on the floor near the Hologlobe, since my MEC was there both times, and each time they were the highest ranking XCOM soldier available at the time. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 13:55, 13 December 2013 (EST)
:::Nearly all my Alpha team got killed on the last Base Defense mission... *sigh* [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 14:08, 13 December 2013 (EST)

== An alien bug? ==
After, I think, third restart of this mission I got NO aliens the whole mission! During all mission all I've got was just Central talking about aliens somwehere, only to say that area is clear immediately after that.
Don't know if this a bug or it's just game took pity on me... [[User:DragDen|DragDen]] ([[User talk:DragDen|talk]]) 16:18, 1 February 2014 (EST)
:It should be a bug. Sometimes when close the window and restart from the current autosave while playing on Ironman mode I get some weird results myself. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] ([[User talk:Hobbes|talk]]) 20:33, 1 February 2014 (EST)

== Number of Aliens Appearing ==

I've only played this far in EW twice so far, but the number of aliens seems to have a much wider range than would be expected from other missions. One game, Base Defense came in September when I had about 8 Colonels, 50+ total soldiers, all Plasma weapons, Ghost and Archangel armor; 37 aliens appeared. The other was in June with only 4 Colonels, 13 soldiers in barracks, Laser weapons, Carapace Armor and Skeleton Suit; 26 aliens appeared (almost 30% fewer), and this was much easier because the smaller early waves were quicker to wipe out. I'm wondering if the number of soldiers in the barracks is a factor in the number of aliens, besides the month controlling which types appear.
-- [[User:Pjw|Pjw]] ([[User talk:Pjw|talk]]) 14:25, 6 August 2015 (EDT)

Talk:Sectopod (EU2012)

2015-08-04T22:16:59Z

Pjw: /* Sectopod Overwatch in EW: Infinite Overwatch Shots? */

Sectopod Doubleshot: hm, I don't recall ever, EU or EW, shooting at the same soldier twice (have had "misses" take out cover of second target, tho...). I just tried it in EW, and the sectopod only took one shot, used it's second to move away. --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 05:57, 12 December 2013 (EST)
:Indeed. I've not seen a Sectopod in EW shoot at the same target twice, which you'd expect it to do most of the time if it had the ability to (since the algorithm that led it to shoot at that soldier should lead it to shoot the same soldier again). [[User:Binkyuk|Binkyuk]] 07:09, 12 December 2013 (EST)
::I may have seen it taking the shot twice at the same soldier but it's very rare to happen. I need to check my videos to see if there's any proof of that happening.
::Something else I've noticed on EW: Sectopods use their cannon a lot more to target cover. I've had a fight where two of my soldiers were using a van for cover and the Sectopod fired first at the van, making it explode, and then targeted one of the soldiers (who was now in half cover instead of full. That was a clever move on the AI. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 07:19, 12 December 2013 (EST)
:::Yes, I suspect the AI "cheats" at least that much when the oppertunity arises. It is rather surprising, as I've never seen the AI do that "use the miss to deliberatley take out cover" thing with any other aliens (if they did aim to take out cover, it'd be with one of the grenade-wielding species doing a toss-- naturally, always with the one who's turn it is ''first'')(trying it myself, a fair number of times I've managed to use misses to take out an alien's cover. Rapid Fire and Bullet Storm help to pull it off). Also, have had instances where I lost sight of the 'Pod, and on it's turn, it'd use both actions to shoot at nothing: *chest cannon beams flash through the sky* ".... the fuck are you shooting at?"--[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 07:37, 12 December 2013 (EST)
::::I have a feeling it missed on that first shot, Hobbes. I don't think I've ever seen Cannon Fire ever target cover. I have seen Sectopods shoot same target twice in EW, especially against MECs. I just don't remember in EU since I never tried to have single soldiers up against one.--[[User:DracoGriffin|DracoGriffin]] 11:45, 12 December 2013 (EST)
:::::The Sectopod will target cover, I'd seen yet before on EU but it seems more now on EW. I just had a mission where it deliberately fired its cannon against a wall that was covering a ghosted soldier. Since it couldn't hit the soldier because of the stealth, the AI decided to blast the cover instead. Lucky for the soldier it had stealth because of Ghost Armor, not Mimetic Skin, otherwise it would be revealed and dead afterward. It is possible that the shot at the van was a miss although I don't recall seeing the "Missed" message. [[User:Hobbes|Hobbes]] 13:04, 12 December 2013 (EST)
:I've only had them attack separate targets, even against MECs, although I have had the shooting of nothing quite a few times. (Sectopod glitched onto a navigation unit in the alien base mission and fired at the Door continuously, before coming down and through the door.--[[User:Ditto51|Ditto51]] 12:46, 12 December 2013 (EST)

Heh, the limbs on sectopods (and mechtoids) aren't entirely connected, so when you kill them--- well, I've had a Mechtoid's head go flying off, and Sectopod bodies roll away downhill. Not a bug, just amusing of the 'puppet' mechanics of how they were animated. --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] ([[User talk:Xuncu|talk]]) 15:45, 8 July 2014 (EDT)

==Electro Pulse disables death explosion?==

Seems to be what I experienced in a recent game. My MEC ran into melee with the Sectopod and stunned it with Electropulse. The next turn, while the Sectopod was still stunned, I had her beat it down with Kinetic Strike Module, and there was no death explosion damage to her after the Sectopod died. [[User:Arrow Quivershaft|Arrow Quivershaft]] 13:52, 12 December 2013 (EST)
:Mm, no. Stunned, and then had someone else do the kill, still took damage. If oppertunity arises, will test if still so if killing hit is *with* the EMP attack... heh, killed one on an embankment, the 'head' fell off the legs and rolled all the way down the hill! --[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 03:45, 24 December 2013 (EST)

== Sectopod Overwatch in EW: Infinite Overwatch Shots? ==

So the other day, I got into a bad scrape with a sectopod on a terror mission that went FUBAR. At one point, in desperation I had a character with Lightning reflexes make a LONG run for it to get out of Line of sight and regroup. The first Overwatch shot missed due to lightning reflexes like planned, then the second missed due to the blessings of our lord and savior RNGesus, as I hoped it would.

The third overwatch shot however, didn't miss. Which is frustrating since it killed my soldier. Also frustrating because I thought Sectopods only had TWO overwatch shots. This entry even says as much.

So yeah, it might be yet another change for EW, or it might have been a bug, but I think Sectopod's overwatch is sort of like an uber Rapid-Reaction ability now, and they can get as many Overwatch shots (or at least 3) on the first runner they see. But the thing is, the sectopod has to miss the first two shots AND the Runner has to be in the open for a while to see this occur - like I said I was having my guy run a LONG way without breaking LOS to get to a spot that could. My only other thought about this is that it might also have to do with The sectopod's "energy", as I'm pretty sure it didn't take all of its actions the turn before, but that's just speculation on my part, whereas the 3rd Overwatch shot definitely isn't seeing as my soldier is now dead.

Anywho, the point is simply that Sectopod Overwatch may need some more investigating for EW. I will start a non-Ironman game to see about this and do some testing for further results.--[[User:MrGonesHead|MrGonesHead]] 01:25, 16 December 2013 (EST)
:Sounds similar to the Sectoid glitch; if a Sectoid is on overwatch, and you attempt to disable it (like to weaken it for a stun), it can get 'infinite' Overwatch shots. But yeh, on Ironman? Ouch.--[[User:Xuncu|Xuncu]] 02:33, 17 December 2013 (EST)

:If I'm reading this right, you moved one soldier once (which was Dashing a long distance) and was shot at three times? Something is wrong here or missing part of events. I have never had a Sectopod ever Overwatch fire a single soldier more than once unless I move the soldier than Dash him (taking two moves instead of one combined move). However, I have had Sectopods have multiple Overwatches by firing at different soldiers (one Overwatch per soldier unless moved as example above). I'm not sure why that was never added to page but it's easily replicated. Best way to prevent this is twofold:
*'''A''': Disabling Shot Sectopod prior to any moves
*'''B''': Suppression fire Sectopod seems to "disable" Overwatches in my experience
Could you perhaps expand on the sequence of events?--[[User:DracoGriffin|DracoGriffin]] 03:21, 17 December 2013 (EST)

This might be of interest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMWO1YDlkVs It looks like Disabling Shot is a really bad idea vs Sectopods in EU. --[[User:Zyxophoj|Zyxophoj]] ([[User talk:Zyxophoj|talk]]) 05:30, 23 February 2014 (EST)

This may be late to the discussion, but I just had this bug or something similar happen (EW, Normal, Iron Man, December 2015 Terrorism CommercialStreet; Windows 7, Steam). One Sectopod was on the map, and it was firing reaction shots, about one reaction shot for every 2 or 3 tiles moved by every soldier in its view. Fired one Disabling Shot at it but missed, not sure if that triggered the bug or if it was already doing it, since early on most of the soldiers were only moving on and off corners or back into full cover from now-destroyed cover (no opportunity for multiple reaction shots at same soldier). In one turn, since most of the walls were being destroyed, I tried to sprint an Assault (Lightning Reflexes) to use a stanchion as cover, then tried to normal-move a Sniper to the same spot; each was killed by the Sectopod's fourth reaction shot against it (8 reaction shots against the 2 soldiers in the same turn). The page may need to be updated to indicate that if this bug was fixed, it's back, or it may have simply been made more intermittent.
--[[User:Pjw|Pjw]] 18:14, 04 August 2015 (EST)